Acer Aspire 1810 Tablets Thread

December 6th at "The TechReport".
Excellent three page report & testing of USB 3.0.
SuperSpeed comes to USB

Yup... Its the Acer Tablet's thread.
But we are all just hanging around waiting.

 

Sorry, I'm just joining this thread, but...

Is this tablet thing out yet?

 

Wow, is the 743 really that slow as to be comparable to an Atom??

Where'd you buy yours from? I'd definitely return it - I wouldn't have even opened mine had they shipped me anything other than the SU2300 I ordered. I double-checked the label on the box several times before I opened mine, in fact.

Check your local Fry's - they were selling them for $399 with occasional specials for $349 for the 1410 with SU2300.

 

Yes. In Australia. Which is why I have the feeling the delay isn't due to Acer fixing minor hardware problems. (Hinge etc.)

Why would they release one version in Australia and another in the rest of the world? I HOPE the delay is because they're improving the build quality, but probably not.

 

The Celeron is faster than the Atom. Just because it didn't feel like it to him doesn't mean it isn't.

 

The 1420/1820 models are *NOT* available yet anywhere in the world. A number of different sites list them but they don't have them in stock. I was quoted by a NZ supplier that they expect them in on 11 Jan...but that is "expected". If anyone knows anything different and has verifiable information that any place has them *IN STOCK*, please post here.

 

Link

 

I just received my 1820PTZ yesterday. Came bundled with my broadband connection recontract (Singnet here in Singapore). Anyway, it's the SU4100 version with 4gb ram (upgraded from 2gb), 500gb hard disk, win7 home premium 64-bit, intel wifi link 1000 (BGN) and bluetooth. The battery is the 5600mah version. I posted some initial impressions here: http://forums.vr-zone.com/showthread.php?p=7466889#post7466889

I will be continually updating the thread as i have more time to play with the machine. Currently at work so I haven't had much time with the machine or to pen out my thoughts. Prior to yesterday I also couldn't find anything on this machine anywhere on the web so I thought it would be nice to share some info with everyone since it seems that we're one of the first in the world to actually get our hands on this tablet (short of those lucky MS PDC attendees).

 

Looking forward to your updates Denosha - especially the hinge.

 

I'd like to know about the lack/existence of any kind of palm rejection. If there's some sort of software rejection like the Asus t91mt and how well it works if there is one.

 

Can't wait?
There are five 1420P Tablets for sale now at eBay.com. Just search "1420P".
All had been given away to developers a month ago at Microsoft's Professional Developer's Conference.

Notice the Special User's Guide for these 1420Ps.
"It is important to note that this notebook PC has been customized specifically for Microsoft PDC attendees and as such – is different than the standard configuration offered by Acer for their retail 1420P model. As a result – BIOS firmware and other common Acer software and drivers may not be compatible with your Microsoft PDC Edition notebook. Configuring your system with BIOS, Software or Driver updates that are not specifically intended for this 1420P configuration could result in loss of functionality."

 

Palm rejection for the trackpad or for the screen? The documentation does mention that the screen will reject your finger/palm while in "pen mode". Haven't tried it out yet though.

 

Palm rejection for the screen. And "pen mode" sounds exactly like what I want to know more about, please test it as soon as you can. I'd like to know if it's reliable and makes Inking possible on the tablet.

 

Would you mind giving us an update about:

1) digitizer: active or passive resistive?

2) hinge quality

3) hand writing experience and palm rejection

Thanks in advance

 

Denosha, I really appreciate, that you registered here at this forum, just to share your experience with this convertible and to satisfy our curiosity.

I would be glad, if you could keep us up to date with your hands-on experiences.
Your review seems to have made this thread rise up like a phoenix.

 

I'm interested in screen quality...

Do you know if it's almost identical to the NON tablet version?

I had an asus tablet and screen was horrible!

 

"Screen - There's a film-like layer on top of the screen which i suppose is for the digitiser. However, this layer seems to affect the screen quality as the colour and contrast don't seem that good. Furthermore the viewing angle also doesn't seem very good, especially when in "portrait tablet" mode. There is noticeable shifting issues in the dark areas on the screen."

1820PTZ First Impressions/Mini-review

 

I've made some updates to my mini-review (in italics) including some the requests made here. Unfortunately I can't compare the screen quality to the non-tablet version since I've never seen that machine before. I do however, compare it to some of my other machines.

 

Thanks a lot for answering our requests. It's good to know that there is some form of palm rejection. Now the tablet may be worth the wait. Keep us updated on your impressions of the hinge, so far it's not very impressive, being too weak for the heavy screen is a disappointment.

 

lol, thanks a bunch for the writeup Denosha, it's great to finally have a somewhat proper review. Funny as well.

If you have the time, I'd like some details on the weight/tablet issue. Is it possible to sit with it in tablet mode and read a lengthy article, or is it simply too uncomfortable due to the weight?

 

WoW, we have palm rejection. Awesome.
Can you check the manual and see what it says about pressure sensitivity, and test it out. Like in Journal if when you press hard the line thickens and when you lift the stylus at the end of a line it leaves it pointy, unlike how a mouse click would.

On another note , try downloading office 2010 beta( just need a hotmail account) and the demo version of artrage 3( released yesterday) and have some fun and give us some feedback plz. TYVM

 

It's only really a problem if you need to tilt your screen quite far back. In tablet mode it's not an issue as there are magnets on the screen/lid and chassis that hold the screen in place when closed (in either orientation).

I don't think there's an pressure sensitivity, especially with it being passive and all. I'll give the office 2010 beta a go this weekend.

 

If the tm91 has it , than the ptz should have it aswell.

 

Hmm.. Seems you're right. The thing IS pressure sensitive. Had to configure the pen tip within Journal to enable the pressure sensitivity though (it's not on by default). Good catch there.

 

Denosha , you just made my day, make that year , since I've been hoping for such a device ever since the first timeline series was announced back in april.

Gentlemen, we now have the perfect tablet.
Palm rejection check
Pressure sensitivity check
dual core culv check
ddr3 ram check
5600mah battery resulting to 8hrs battery life check
1366x786 res check.
For the price you can buy it there is no competition.
Add in the responsive multitouch,...........I think We should start a CWAL(can't wait any longer) operation like they did with starcraft.

 

We still have to see whether the tablet holds or falls apart after a couple of weeks. I have a suspicious feeling that the hinge will start failing within a couple of months.

 

Denosha's review got me pretty excited too. Thanks, man!

Here in The Netherlands, the 1820PTZ-413G32N is now listed in 9 webshops, in this metasearcher:
http://tweakers.net/pricewatch/248952/acer-aspire-1820ptz-413g32n.html

This seems to be a version with a 320GB HDD and no 3G modem. I was hoping for one with a 500GB HDD. Have not come across news on the specs of the 1820PT, here.

None of these stores seem to have the 1820PTZ in stock yet, though. No clear release dates. Prices range from EUR 565 to EUR 599. Very decent.

 

I could be wrong, but doesn't come with 1 year warranty. Thus, if it falls of in a cpl months it could be sent back to be repaired. Thought, that might take a several weeks without having the device, what other alternative is there?

Anything with a solution, I don't perceive as a big deal.

 

I don't see how having to send in your notebook/tablet for repair several times a year no big deal. If I was to just casually use it and the whole tablet feature is more of a gimmick... sure, since it'll be in tablet mode the majority of the time anyway. Don't get me wrong, I am quite excited about this. I'm just skeptical.

 

I agree. If I got this tablet I would use it as my main work horse and I don't want to be losing it for week long stretches at a time. On top of that, I don't want to have to go out and buy a new one after a year because the warranty ran out.

And the 1820PTZ is surprisingly well rounded, the PDC 1420P had no palm rejection or pressure sensitivity, maybe it was in a more preproduction state than I thought. The good news about the 1820 is throwing me back into the waiting game. What price is projected for the su4100 model? ~$750?

 

Just, for clarity:
Sending back for repair several times a year is a big deal. But, that's not what I said. It would not be a big deal to me if the hinge acted up and I had to send it out 1 time for a few weeks. Further, I was replying to what you said about hinge breaking down in a 'couple of months', not in year two.

That would be a different story and gamble we all would take. In all I guess what I prefer is that it breakdown in that 1st year while still under warranty. If the hinge is as bad as it others have posted.

 

This is a very interesting tablet, especially if the price is confirmed.

I would say far from the perfect tablet, because of the digitizer.

For inking usually you want an active digitizer, inking on a passive resistive screen is tiresome after a while, slow and doesn't feel natural at all. But I don't know if the Acer is different in that aspect.

Thanks a lot for the updated.

Please, if you have the chance may you test a little more the inking capability? (Comfort, comparison with an active digitizer, fast writing, writing for extended periods)

 

How experienced are you in this area? I plan to do a lot of note taking using this tablet (physics and calc lectures), do you think it would be impossible with a resistive screen?

And yes, more testing on inking would be much appreciated.

 

Man, I wish there was an outdoor screen on this sucker.

 

It it my presumption that if the hinge fails in a couple of months, and is then replaced by a another hinge of the same quality... it too will fail in a couple of months. Therefore, if the hinge is bad, you'll be replacing it more than once in that first year alone.

Edit: even worst, the hinge quickly shows signs of wear and tear, but doesn't completely fail. It won't be covered under warranty as it'll be considering normal wear and tear.

 

Except if Acer has to suddenly replaces thousands of hinges I bet they switch to a stronger hinge. IT costs them money to have to fix these. The weight surprises me. It look thin and light in the pictures. Its not much lighter then then Fujitsu T4410.

Although that battery life is insanely good on the Acer without the need for two batteries or a heavy battery slice.

If the touch screen is responsive, if the inking isn't a chore, and it runs cool, this could be a winner.

 

I retried some of the programs that come with the preinstalled win7 touch pack again but this time with the screen set to "finger mode" rather than "auto". It seems more responsive now. Maybe it also helps that the screen has quite a bit more oil on it now (EWWWW!) so finger movements are smoother.

I don't know how much testing i will do on the inking aspects since I actually hate writing. I actually type faster than I write.

As for the heat. It seems to be a non-issue. The base feels only warm even after running for more than an hour. There is some heat coming out from the vent on the left side but it's not hot or anything.

 

Denosha, thanks for your views, tests and review of the 1820 PTZ.

It is clear that this is the best tablet for the price, and maybe even the best tablet one can buy nowadays, when taking into consideration purely hardware specifications and battery live.

It is strange that no one else is coming into the game, specially after the push microsoft is trying with Windows 7 for touchscreen devices...

Are they all sure already that the so much talked and hyped to come Apple tablet will dominate this market as well, and afraid to come into the game? :-S

What worries me the most on the Acer is the screen quality and viewing angles...I like a crispy screen with faithful color reproduction for e.g. photo editing.
And I surely hope the hinge is sturdy enough so that it lasts at least 2 years. But then again...one can't have everything for this price level...

Just bring the 1820PT to the market already Acer...

 

In Germany, the 1820PTZ is coming out as 1820PTZ-414G32N in 3 colors: black, red and blue, as showing in the results of this price metasearcher:
http://geizhals.at/eu/?fs=1820P&in=
Prices are around EUR 600.

Like the version coming out in The Netherlands, it features a 320GB HDD. It comes with 4GB internal memory (3GB in NL).

Note that the Germans typically use their own keyboard style. The laptops brought out by Acer in the Netherlands (as my 1810T) have a nice US keyboard layout.

I hope that the 1820PT coming in my region will have a bigger HDD than the 320GB in the local PTZ models (i.e. 500GB or more, like in other markets), HDDs cannot be big enough for me.

I intend to (also) use it for casual photo editing and browsing while on the road (attaching it over HDMI to a 24" LG L245WP-BN, a P-MVA screen for the real color sensitive work at home).

 

The German online shop www.cyberport.de told me, that the Acer 1420P will likely be shipped with the beginning of January 2010.

 

I think the most representative thing I could do is take a video of the touchscreen in action, in both finger and pen modes, so that you guys can draw your own conclusions. Responsiveness is quite a subjective thing IMHO.

As for the dimensions, this is what it says in the manual:
285 (W) 208.9 (D) 28.5/34.5 (H) mm
(11.22 x 8.22 x 1.12/1.36 inches)
1.72 kg (3.79 lbs.) (non-3G SKU)

 

Thanks Denosha!
A video would be awesome. Can you also include how well touch works on web pages and maybe a brief demo of surface globe? I'd be interested to see you write with the pen while your palm is resting on the screen. Sorry I know its a lot requests and I really really appreciate you taking pity on us!

I just wish Acer will get around to letting us know when its releasing here.

 

I agree, and a video would be great. And the updates on video performance and battery life are nice to hear. Intel's CULV processors continues to impress.

 

Made some updates to my mini-review. I've also added some photos too. Taking those photos made my realise how dusty my living room is.

 

Ok guys. I've updated my mini-review with 3 HD videos of the device in action. Between taking the vids, recompressing them and uploading to Youtube, it took the better part of the day to complete. *Whew*!

 

Denosha, your effort is unbelievable outstanding. .
Your review almost already looks as if it has been made by a professional it-site.

 

Whats with this stupid sticker ? Does Acer want to prevent me from changing the hdd or ram ? If thats the case i have to rethink my decision to buy the 1820ptz, because i will change the hdd for a ssd-drive.

@denosha:
Thanks for the review.

Tobi

 

Thank you very much!

To the guy asking about inking: It seems the 1820PT is a GREAT overall tablet if you are primarily interested in touch functionality and just occasional short inking.

If you want to take notes during lessons/courses you better get an active digitizer, the difference is evident because the experience is much more similar to real writing. The same for adding comments to the minute doc (with BlueBeam PDF Revu of PDF annotator) during a meeting.

I'm probably going to buy this for personal/recreational use.

 

Just re-read your updated review and watched the 3 videos. Really wonderful stuff. Very clarifying. You have a good eye for details. I appreciate all the work that you put into this. Thanks!

Listened to the video with a good set of headphones. Cool to be in Singapore for a couple of minutes, soundscape-wise.